Car accidents are terrifying experiences that happen in an instant but can leave your life changed temporarily or forever, depending on the seriousness of the injuries. When the accident was caused by another driver’s negligent or reckless actions, it’s frustrating, but at least you can recover compensation for your damages like property damage to your car, medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering compensation from the at-fault driver, right? But what if the driver who caused the accident flees the scene? Watching a negligent driver drive away in a hit-and-run car accident in Austin adds to the trauma and distress. Speak to an Austin accident attorney for more information.
Why Do Hit and Run Accidents Happen?
Most Texans cannot imagine leaving the scene of an accident without stopping to offer reasonable aid and comfort to injury victims and giving contact and insurance information to the other driver and the police. However, some at-fault drivers flee the scene of an accident—a crime with penalties varying based on the seriousness of the accident and whether or not there were injuries or fatalities. The most common reasons drivers leave the scene after an accident include the following:
- They are driving without a valid driver’s license
- They lack insurance and fear personal liability
- They have an outstanding arrest warrant
- They panic or experience an overwhelming fear of facing legal action
Regardless of the reason a driver flees, they face serious legal penalties if apprehended, including the possibility of jail time.
What to Do After a Hit-and-Run Accident in Austin
In the trauma and pain following a serious car accident, it’s difficult to keep a cool head and take action, especially if you’re injured or a loved one is hurt. In some cases, you could be incapacitated and unable to do anything but wait for help; however, if you can safely use your phone—even from your spot without causing further injury—it becomes a tool to take the following critical actions:
- First, snap a photo of the car, driver, and their license tag if possible. In many cases, the at-fault driver halts for a moment in shock after an accident before fleeing
- Call 911 to report the accident and tell the police that the driver has fled. If possible, give them a description of the vehicle, the driver, and the direction they were heading
- Take a photo of the accident scene and any visible injuries
- If any eyewitnesses are present, be sure to add their contact information to your phone
Always go to a hospital immediately from the accident scene for treatment and ask for a detailed medical report. Report the accident to your insurance company and inform them that it was a hit-and-run. Then, it’s time to reach out to a skilled personal injury lawyer in Austin for help.
How Do I Recover Compensation After a Hit-and-Run Accident in Austin?
Many hit-and-run drivers are never identified or apprehended, particularly when accidents occur in places without traffic cameras or surveillance cameras, especially when the accident victims are too seriously injured to take photos or describe the driver and vehicle. In these cases, an experienced car accident lawyer can help car accident injury victims explore all options for recovering compensation. These include the following:
- Recovering compensation through their uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage if they chose this additional option (insurers are required to offer this coverage, but Texas does not compel drivers to add it to their basic liability coverage)
- Recovering compensation from a collision or comprehensive coverage policy
- If the at-fault driver is apprehended and has insurance, an injury victim can recover compensation for damages through a claim against the hit-and-run driver’s insurance
- Through a personal lawsuit against the hit-and-run driver once they are identified and if they have substantial assets to make a lawsuit worthwhile
In some cases, there could be a third-party liability claim, for instance, against a negligent road maintenance agency if an unsafe road condition contributed to the accident.
How Can an Austin Hit-and-Run Accident Attorney Help?
A hit-and-run accident doesn’t always have to end an injury victim’s chances of recovering compensation for their damages. Call the experienced Austin car accident lawyers at Shaw Cowart LLP for legal representation after an accident so we can develop a strategy to obtain any and all compensation available to you.